We all need to do our civic duty to support the justice system, but some jury summons arrive at the worst possible time. One financial blogger has tips for getting excused, but also, more appropriately, getting your obligation moved or rescheduled.

Personal finance blog My Two Dollars lists 16 "fool-proof" excuses you can use to escape jury duty in the here and now, including some you've probably seen in sitcoms—dressing inappropriately, being obviously and loudly biased, and so forth. Hidden among the ha-ha-got-you bits, though, are some smarter tips on getting jury duty moved to a court closer to you, or rescheduled at a time that isn't right before a project deadline:

Request a date change – You can probably safely get a date of service change just by asking the court.

Sold your car AND your bike? – Back when I lived in California, I got my jury duty summons moved to both a closer court and a different date because I had no way of getting to the courthouse they wanted me to come to. I didn't own a car and public transportation didn't go where I would have needed it to go!

Have a baby or an elderly person at home – The primary caregiver for either a baby or an elderly person can usually get out of jury duty pretty easily.

The author is pretty honest in suggesting other means—means that will likely offend those sensitive about civic duty—that would get you entirely dismissed from jury duty if you absolutely can't afford to serve at the moment, like using hard-to-prove religious clauses, mentioning relationships with police officers, and generally making yourself unappealing to a prosecutor or attorney. But we're assuming you know the limits of your own pride and civic duty, and can find some helpful advice inside the semi-serious suggestions.

Got your own jury service escape story, funny or otherwise? Sat through a trial you couldn't escape from? Let's hear about it in the comments.